Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Metn

For one person, living is cheaper in Metn: $1,045 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Istanbul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Metn
Learn more

Metn Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Metn

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Metn

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Metn actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,045 in Metn, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Metn $1,045

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,676 in Metn, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Metn $1,676

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,307 in Metn, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Metn $2,307

Istanbul costs about 45% more than Metn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Metn is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$11.80 LBP 1.1M

0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$68.1 LBP 6.1M

-19.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$10.04 LBP 898.7K

-7.77%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$4.56 LBP 408.1K

-5.70%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₺88.8

$2.26 LBP 202.5K

-21.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$0.90 LBP 80.4K

-37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$5.15 LBP 460.9K

-8.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$4.67 LBP 418.0K

52.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$1.93 LBP 173.1K

-35.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.91 LBP 81.5K

-3.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$2.25 LBP 201.2K

-2.22%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.48 LBP 311.1K

-30.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$11.17 LBP 1.0M

-6.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$10.48 LBP 938.4K

-49.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$15.14 LBP 1.4M

39.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$3.09 LBP 276.6K

-39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.71 LBP 153.4K

34.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.62 LBP 144.8K

-24.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$1.49 LBP 133.3K

20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$1.25 LBP 112.0K

-44.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$1.59 LBP 142.6K

-59.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$1.21 LBP 108.7K

12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.71 LBP 63.6K

-18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.96 LBP 265.1K

-20.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$10.93 LBP 978.6K

19.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.28 LBP 114.9K

84.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.58 LBP 231.1K

28.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$4.88 LBP 436.7K

-73.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$2.21 LBP 197.4K

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$22.41 LBP 2.0M

-50.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.09 LBP 97.5K

35.78%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$52.9K LBP 4.7B

-8.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$33.0K LBP 2.9B

27.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$92.7 ₺4,639

$216 LBP 19.3M

-57.06%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.20 ₺560

$23.41 LBP 2.1M

-52.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$37.29 LBP 3.3M

-57.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$60.4 LBP 5.4M

23.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$10.20 LBP 912.8K

-21.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$948 ₺47.5K

$491 LBP 44.0M

93.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$10.7K LBP 958.3M

244.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$67.2 LBP 6.0M

-19.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$49.57 LBP 4.4M

-16.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$137 LBP 12.3M

-26.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$121 LBP 10.8M

-24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$495 LBP 44.3M

304.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

267.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Metn: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Metn

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Metn

$276 26.4% 6.9% $18

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Metn

$227 21.7% 2.8% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Metn

$169 16.1% 30.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Metn

$277 26.5% 131% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Metn

$81 7.7% 11% $10

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Metn

$16 * 1.5% 78.9% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $68 in Metn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $276 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇧 Metn

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

01:11 1:11 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

5,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,472 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.95 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Metn 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Metn

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Istanbul vs Metn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,568 in Metn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $68 in Metn. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Metn, where all-in costs run around $1,045, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Metn it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,045 in Metn to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.